Buyer’s Guide: Best Locks to Use for
Storage Units
You’re renting a storage unit to keep your treasured items safe. The goal is security, and your lock is your
last line of defense against theft. While
you may be experienced with combination locks and padlocks, we’ll discuss below
why they don’t provide the best protection.
Burglars look for the path of least
resistance
If it’s harder for a criminal to break into your unit, it’s less likely
they’ll attempt the intrusion in the first place. They look for the easiest,
quickest locks to break, in order to minimize the chances of being caught. Standard locks are easily broken by a
committed thief, while good storage locks take much more time and effort to
bypass. Good locks are thicker, with a
protective casing to stop bolt cutters.
Combination Locks
Combination
locks don’t need a key to gain entry. Instead, the user enters a number
combination through a dial or presses a code on a pad to unlock the device.
It’s popular because it’s easy to use and convenient, but these devices are the
least secure for storage units. While fine for areas that you can monitor daily
like your garage or storage shed, they’re vulnerable when left unattended for
long stretches.
The disadvantages
of these locks, however, include forgetting the combination or having others
guess the code. A quick search on Google offers a variety of instructional
videos with “How to crack your Master Lock combo in 3 easy steps.” Also, they can be easily cut with tools like bolt cutters. (We don’t
recommend this option for a storage unit.)
Padlocks
Padlocks are among the most frequently chosen types of
storage unit lock. Requiring a key, these are popular because they are
affordable and quick to unlock, which is highly desirable for those who don’t
want to memorize a combination they’ll only use 6 months later. Though these
locks can be quite cheap, we advise that you invest in sturdy padlocks that are
durable and secure. With locks, you truly do get what you pay for. Cheap padlocks are better suited for gym
lockers and storage sheds, but long-term storage units need devices that are
resistant to bolt cutters.
Padlocks can be made with a variety of
materials that will affect the quality. A poor-quality lock can be made with
soft metal casings and could be pried open or snipped with bolt cutters.
Stainless steel or hard brass padlocks are more resistant to tampering.
There are two main types of padlocks:
·
Open
Shackle Lock – These will fit easily into most
storage door latches. The shackle (U-shaped portion at the top of the lock) is
exposed, making it more susceptible to attacks with bolt cutters or saws. Unless you get
an expensive version, most of these padlocks don’t have an anti-drill plate. (We don’t recommend this for storage units)
·
Closed
Shackle Lock –
The exposed part of the shackle is shorter, thicker and protected by the
padlock casing. These features make these locks more difficult to cut with bolt
cutters.
Ordinary
padlocks are inexpensive, but not the most secure (especially for a
self-storage unit). While you’re probably the only one who has the key to
unlock a padlock, they are the easiest kind of lock to tamper with or cut open.
Disc Locks
These
lock types were specifically designed for storage units. . You can identify a
disc lock because it looks exactly as it sounds: it’s shaped like a disc. A
burglar can’t remove these with a bolt cutter because the “U” part of the lock
can’t be easily reached. Hammers cannot break open the lock either. For a thief
to get through disc locks, they would have to invest quite a bit of time and
resources (typically requiring a grinder), which means they will likely move on
to a unit with a less secure lock. Both the keyed and combination versions are
fine choices in disc locks.
One
extra benefit is you need the key both to open and close the lock, meaning you
won’t leave your key locked inside the unit!
Summary
Avoid:
• Multiple Combination Padlocks
• Cheap and ordinary locks
• Single Combination Padlocks
• Old and overused padlocks
• Padlocks with common keys
• Open-Shackle Padlocks
Buy:
• Disc Locks
• Closed-Shackle Padlocks